Facade Louver Assembly Using Expanded Pipe-Locked Slats
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of facade louvers is expensive and time-consuming due to the need for welding, smoothing, and painting, which is complicated by surface differences and requires final coating of the end product, making it untidy.
Innovation Solution
A method where slats are surface-treated separately before cutting to size, using end frames with precisely machined openings and holes, and a pipe is inserted through the holes to expand and lock the slats in place without welding, forming a rigid assembly with pre-coated metal profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welding is used to join slats to frames, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and time increase due to smoothing and painting requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the welding process with a mechanical expansion system. A pipe is inserted through pre-drilled holes in the slats and frames, then an expanding tool is pulled through the pipe to expand it radially, creating a friction-based mechanical lock that joins the slats to the frames without welding, eliminating the need for subsequent smoothing and painting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe serves as an intermediary element between the slats and frames. It is inserted through holes in both components and then expanded to create a friction fit, acting as a mediator that mechanically connects the slats to the frames without requiring direct welding between them, thus simplifying the manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If welding is used to assemble the louver, then the connection reliability is improved, but the surface treatment difficulty increases due to weld seams requiring final coating
Solution Approach 1:
The welding process is replaced with a mechanical expansion system where a pipe is inserted through pre-drilled holes and then expanded radially using an expanding tool. This creates a friction-based mechanical lock that provides reliable connections without creating weld seams, thereby eliminating the need for difficult final surface treatment and coating operations.
3Shape
If surface treatment is applied to the finished louver, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the manufacturing time and cost increase due to the complicated coating process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies surface treatment to the individual slats and frame components before they are assembled into the final louver structure. This preliminary action allows each component to be coated separately and uniformly, eliminating the need for complex final coating of the assembled structure and significantly reducing manufacturing time and costs while maintaining aesthetic appearance.
4Manufacturing precision
If precise machining of openings and holes is performed, then the assembly precision is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs precise machining of openings in frames and holes in slats as preliminary actions before assembly. This pre-machining approach ensures high assembly precision and proper fit for the expansion mechanism, while allowing for efficient batch production that reduces overall manufacturing costs compared to performing precision work after assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces manufacturing time and costs by 10-20% and eliminates visible weld seams, resulting in a tidier and more finished product with no need for final coating, allowing for efficient production of louvers with varying sizes and dimensions.
Implementation Method 1
an expanding means such as a ball or a corresponding round object is drawn through the pipe, the expanding means being slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe, so as to expand the pipe in the areas between the slats, and in the area of the slat to tighten the pipe against the slat
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a facade louver, and to the corresponding facade louver. The louver comprises a number of parallel slats (1) spaced at a distance from each other and having a uniform cross-sectional profile, and end frames (2) at the ends of the slats for supporting the slats. According to the invention, openings (3) corresponding to the cross-sectional profile of the slats (1) are machined in both of the end frames (2) at said distance from each other, and holes (4) are machined in both ends of the slats in the same position in each of the slats. The slats are then pushed from their ends through the openings of the end frames, so that the holes machined in them pass to the other side of the end frames. Then, a pipe (5) is pushed through the holes arranged in the same position in each of the slats, and an expanding means is drawn through the pipe, the expanding means being larger than the inner diameter of the pipe, so as to expand the pipe in the areas between the slats, thereby locking the slats in place around the pipe.